What Is USDA Organic?

September is Organic Month! Behind every bite of organic food you eat, there’s an organic farmer, an organic pioneer, or an organic brand to thank.

What Is USDA Organic? Products that are certified USDA Organic must meet the standards of the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP). According to the USDA website: 

“NOP is a federal regulatory program that develops and enforces consistent national standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the United States. NOP also accredits third-party organizations to certify that farms and businesses meet the national organic standards. These certifiers and USDA work together to enforce the standards, ensuring a level playing field for producers and protecting consumer confidence in the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal.”

Nutiva uses Quality Assurance International (QAI) as our primary organic certifier. QAI makes sure that the ingredients that we use and the product that we sell meet the standards set forth in the NOP. The USDA Organic seal is your assurance that the products that Nutiva sells meets these standards. 

Our customers often ask about these processes and ingredients. 

Here are the questions and answers:

Are your products Non-GMO?
Yes. All of Nutiva's products are third party certified USDA Organic, which does not allow for the use of GMOs, and are also Non-GMO Project Verified.

Are your hemp foods irradiated?
No, Nutiva's hemp foods are not irradiated. The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) does not allow for organic products to be irradiated. All of our products are third party certified as USDA Organic and are not irradiated. The Shelled Hemp Seeds are incapable of germination because the outside hull has been removed. The Hemp Seed Oil and Hemp Protein Powders are made with whole, raw hemp seeds and are not irradiated before or after processing.

Are your coconut oils, red palm oil, and shortening hydrogenated?
No, none of our products are hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is not allowed in any product that is USDA Organic, our brand or any other brand. All of our products are third party certified as USDA Organic and are not hydrogenated..

Are your oils extracted with hexane?
All of our oils are hexane free, whether the labels say so or not. Hexane and other chemical solvents are not allowed to be used in products that are certified USDA Organic. All of Nutiva's products are third party certified USDA Organic and hexane and chemical solvents are not used in the process to make any of our products.  

Do your products contain artificial flavors?
No, none of the flavorings that are used in our products are artificial. Instead, we use Organic Natural Flavor. To learn more about these flavorings, please see our blog post What Are Organic Natural Flavors?

Nutiva Is Always Organic and Non-GMO!​